Knock Out director Mani Shankar was not willing to comply with Irrfan's insistent requests that he be allowed to do his own share of action to look on a par with the film's leonine action hero Sanjay Dutt. In fact, Irrfan wanted to go further. He wanted to kill the villain in the climax of Knock Out. A thought that exasperated and amused Sanjay Dutt and the director Mani Shankar since Irrfan's character didn't fit the role of the avenging macho man. Says a source, "Irrfan had reservations about his role from the start. When he expressed these reservations to the director Mani Shankar, Mani made it clear that no changes would be made. Irrfan plays an investment banker. How could he turn into a fighter beating up goons and shooting down villains in a true filmy hero style? Mani has made a political thriller set in real time. The action and drama last for exactly two hours, from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm." Disregarding his banker's role Irrfan wanted to throw his punches, a la Dutt.

The director tried every ploy to dissuade Irrfan. Finally, Sanjay Dutt had to step in to stop Irrfan's flights of fancy. Director Mani Shankar is reluctant to talk on the subject. Says Mani, "I'm really not allowed to give out anything. Irrfan has a fabulous role. Yes, initially he did have some reservations. But we sorted them out. Now he has his own space in the narrative, no doubt about it."

Till a fortnight ago, there was nothing that I knew of this Punjabi film called Mel Karade Rabba. Even though Jimmy Sheirgill - the lead hero of the film - sounded mighty excited during one of our informal chats, I had no clue about the euphoria round the corner. When Jimmy said - 'Bro, picture bahaut garam ho gayi hai' - I felt that this was the pre-release excitement that was making him say those words. When the film released - there was no buzz in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore since its prints were dispatched only in theatres across Punjab, Haryana and overseas - there was no hoopla in the national level media either. And then a day passed by and what followed next was akin to a volcano being erupted. Records started getting broken not just in the Punjab belt but even US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Films likes 3 Idiots, Ghajini and Gadar were being spoken about in the same breath. There was a new overseas superstar who seemed to have been born, courtesy the humungous success of Mel Karade Rabba and I was soon set thinking - 'Has Bollywood ignored Jimmy Sheirgill for way too long?' It was this very thought that set me thinking about many other actors who got a far lesser star status for themselves in last few years but delivered whenever an opportunity came their way. In this week's edition of 'Reflections' series, let's look at the way some of the actors, despite their commercial bent, have somehow not seen favourable acceptance in the world of Hindi cinema and instead have found their bearing in regional cinema. A word of caution here though. In this write up, emphasis is only on those actors who have been indeed quite talented or have at least shown sparks of brilliance - whether through sheer acting skills or attitude - in their earlier outings. One of the first such names is of course the subject under consideration, Jimmy Sheirgill, who has been around for a decade and a half but has never ever got his due. For someone who had a supporting role to play in Maachis, he did enjoy a big outing in the form of Mohabbatein.

However, he somehow got slotted as a second lead or a supporting actor, something that has continued to plague his standing till date. Recent example is My Name Is Khan. No wonder, while the actor does a A Wednesday and proves himself all over again, he also turns out to be the biggest superstar in Punjabi cinema with a hat trick of successes in Mel Karade Rabba, Munde UK De and Tera Mera Ki Rishta. It's time for Bollywood to wake up and see the talent that may just be absorbed by regional cinema where he is getting the respect that he deserves. Same holds good for another actor Sonu Sood, who though (talent wise) restricted by the characterisation that he can fit into, still has it in him when it comes to edgy roles. Pick up the films where he got a chance to perform - Yuva or Jodhaa Akbar - and had a well etched part to play. He did quite well and showcased a new side of his persona. Of course whenever he has half baked roles coming his way, he has been awkward. Hence, a role has to be in his zone. No wonder, when he goes down South and turns into an out and out villain for a Telugu film like Arundhati, he enjoys a celebrity status for himself. No wonder, the man is absorbing himself big time into South cinema while giving himself that once-a-year opportunity in Hindi cinema by picking on an antagonist's role opposite Salman Khan in Dabangg. Genelia D'Souza's case has been even more puzzling. She does well practically every time (save an effort like Life Partner where she was totally OTT) and in fact made her debut with a Hindi film (Tujhe Meri Kasam) years ago. However, somehow Bollywood hasn't proved to be too accommodating for the pretty girl who went on to deliver multiple hits down South. Now that she has done a dozen films out there, there is some recognition finally coming her way post Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa. Still, the girl is not taking her chances when it comes to her stint down South, especially so with two stuck films It's My Life and Hook Ya Crook. Can we offer her better roles, soon, before she again disappears for long? In that aspect, Sameera Reddy is pretty much playing a smart game.

If there is one actress who is turning out to be a Jack (or shall I say Jill?) of all trades when it comes to working in regional cinema, Sameera could well be a front runner. Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam - you name it and she has done it all. Of course she didn't find huge recognition for her acting skills when she started off in Bollywood. Moreover, some of her recent outings like De Dana Dan too haven't been extraordinary enough to be written home about. Still, the girl has the 'X' factor, something that Sanjay Gupta explored to the fullest in Musafir. However, none of her subsequent directors harnessed this quality of hers, something that made her look for something new in the regional circuits. She may not be a superstar in her new found market but an effort as put on display in recent release Red Alert - The War Within, makes one wonder if film makers before ever took her seriously. Someone who is definitely not being taken seriously is an actress from down South who is trying to make her presence felt in Bollywood - Sadaa. An experienced actress with close to a dozen odd films behind her, all she gets to do is the Love Khichdis and the Clicks of the world. For someone who has worked with none less than Shankar and Vikram in Tamil cinema, she could well be a good addition to Hindi cinema if only the requirement was that of an innocent face and a dignified persona. But seems the wait may only continue for the pretty girl! The same holds good for Shreya Saran who just like Genelia D'Souza has been hanging on for close to a decade but not quite making headway into Bollywood. Of course a start opposite Arya Babbar in (have you have ever heard about it?) Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda Hum was not quite a beginning that Shreya would have been happy about.

No wonder, she immersed herself neck deep into South films and managed to rise up the ladder and worked with none less than Rajnikanth in Sivaji. An established star in Tamil cinema, she has made on and off appearances in Hindi films like Ek - The Power of One, Mission Istanbul and Awarapan, only to loose heart and walk back into her comfort zone. However, someone who is doing all to resist this temptation and give a solid fight is Asin, who despite her dozen and a half films in South is determined to make it big in Bollywood. After the high of Ghajini, she had to suffer the low of London Dreams. For many, Ready with Salman Khan may just be a hopeful outing that would turn around her fortunes. If not, the lady who has worked with Kamal Hassan not too many moons ago may well find a safe abode just a flight away. On the other hand, someone who would certainly be looking at cancelling all her flights to South for at least a few more years to come would be Kangna. Tired with all the roles hinting of schizophrenia coming her way, Kangna did bite the bait with a couple of regional films like Dhaam Dhoom and Ek Niranjan. However, she is one individual for which Bollywood has indeed taken notice fast, a result of which is half a dozen films which are up for release and nearly the same number which is slated to go on floors soon. Perhaps her two regional films were just a threat good enough for film makers to insist that she stays back!

With Ibn-e-batuta (Ishqiya) and Apni to jaise taise (Housefull) under his belt, Mika Singh has added two more hits to his chartbuster cap. In a candid conversation with Screen, we get acquainted with the musical maverick Playback singing seems to be a part-time occupation for you despite your high hit percentage. Why is that? Our entire family back in Punjab has been into music as a full-time occupation that brooks no compromise. When I came to Mumbai it was after three years of planning and a lot of hard work. I am from a school that believes in well-trained complete musicians who compose as well as sing. It is thus necessary to learn not just formal vocal music but also as many instruments as possible - I learnt 50 instruments so that as a composer I know their strengths and zones and am aware of what orchestration I will need for any song. For me, this was a definition of a true-blue composer, whether he was into bands, pop or folk music. My ambition was a minimum one worldwide hit of my own, which I luckily got with Saawan mein lag gayi aag, later used in Woodstock Villa. But when I came here, I realised that over here the guy who makes the tune is known as the music director! It was all so easy!

You could get arrangers, musicians, programmers…! Even in playback, anyone could come in! Which was your first playback song? That was Dekha jo tujhe yaar from Apna Sapna Money Money under Pritamda. Let me reveal one more fact to you. Punjabi music is an entire culture with a huge fan base across the globe. There are dozens of artistes like my brother Daler Mehndi, Rabbi, Gurdas Mann and so many more who do not need Mumbai and its show business to be famous and successful. Their concerts worldwide have attendances in multiples of shows with top stars from Hindi films! But the ironic part is the public perception that unless you are a part of Mumbai and its film industry you are not supposed to have made much headway as a musician! That is why I thought that I will come down to Mumbai. For me, live shows are still what I am and film music is a periodic indulgence. Shows were my dream and remain as my main source of income. You also composed Ganpat for Shootout At Lokhandwala. Sanjay Gupta had recorded another song for the situation. But I told him frankly that that kind of song will not jell with hardened criminals who are singing it on screen. The expressions were all wrong. He agreed and that's how I made the song. Do you want to do more songs in films as composer? Stick to what you are good at and try and become better and better is my way of looking at things! You can't listen to flatterers telling you, Arey yaar, tum music direction bhi karo or suggesting that you can become a hero because you are handsome enough and so on! Having said that, I do give inputs on the songs I am called to sing. Most music directors also leave it to me to sing a song in my style. I am also known to give frank opinions of songs to composers! Is that then the real reason why you sing so less in films? I believe that if a singer is needed a music director will come to him, so I do not approach them and thus have sung in cinema for very few people like Pritamda, who has used me best, come Mouja hi mouja in Jab We Met, Baalmulaiza from De Dana Dan, Oh by god from Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani or my Apna Sapna.. song. I have sung for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anu Malik, Anand Raaj Anand and for young composers like Bappa Lahiri and Mithoon. Pritam really makes an effort to give me something different every time. What I also like about him is that his sound quality remains uniform through all his films - he does not compromise if the film has a smaller budget. I also liked the way Mithoon experimented with my voice and made me sing the soft, romantic track Saajana in Lamhaa that was completely new for someone with my image. How do you see musical trends going today in films and outside? The line between film and pop music has almost vanished, which in a way is good, and in some aspects bad as well. There is nothing new in the compositions and yet there is occasional freshness, the voices are all different and yet they are strangely similar too! There is no clear demarcation in styles that we saw with R.D.Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Bappi Lahiri. Reality shows are a boon for new talent, but there is the same problem - the contestants all want to be playback singers! None, for example, would want to make a career out of singing devotional songs. But the worst thing about film music today is how a music director records one song in five different voices and then chooses, or someone else not connected with the music does so, and we are all at their mercy!

Finally, with Daler being so popular, did you make any special effort to modulate your voice differently? To an extent, I did, but nature had thankfully made our voices different too. Screen India

There seems to be no end to Sunny Deol's troubles. He's back again in bed for a prolonged rest with his chronic back problem. And to compound his woes this time stones in his kidney were also detected. Director Samir Karnik who's making a family film for and with the Deols entitled Yamla Pagla Deewana is in a fix. Just when he needed to shoot a high-voltage action sequence with Sunny, the actor with a chronic back problem is laid up with a back problem thereby putting a question mark on the action sequence. Now Karnik has no choice but to push forward the action sequence indefinitely and proceed with the post-production of the film. Informs Karnik, "Everything except the action sequence is done. Now I'm going ahead with the post-production. I'll wait for Sunny to recover." That is easier said than done. Along with his back problem, Sunny also had stones in his kidney which he has currently gone to the US to get removed. Says Karnik, "But for his back problem there's no remedy except complete bed rest. So even after the stones were removed by injection in the US, Sunny is still bedridden until his back is completely healed." Even then would Sunny be able to perform the stunt for Karnik's film? Says Karnik, "I'll wait. I've planned Ghayal kind of stunts for Sunny with the Ghajini action director Peter Heines. And if he is not up to it, I'll cancel the action sequence. But I'm told after bed rest, Sunny's back will be as good as new." Sunny Deol's back problem can easily be considered chronic. For many years he has quietly and not so quietly suffering from a chronic back problem. On many occasions in his career recently, Sunny has been laid off because of his back. This is his fourth enforced holiday due to his back. How long it lasts depends entirely on Nature.

Incidentally, Akshay Kumar also has a chronic back problem which he recently solved with water- therapy treatment in Germany. Shah Rukh Khan too suffers from a bad back.